My journey to the great state of Alaska started June 13, 2009. This is an attempt to share the adventure with my family and friends who are so much a part of the story... "This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike 'What's next, Papa?" Romans 8:15-16

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Time Of Our Lives

Another turning point; a fork stuck in the road.
Time grabs you by the wrist; directs you where to go.
So make the best of this test and don't ask why.
It's not a question but a lesson learned in time.
It's something unpredictable but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
So take the photographs and still frames in your mind.
Hang it on a shelf In good health and good time.
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial.
For what it's worth, it was worth all the while.
It's something unpredictable but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.Green Day, Time of Your Life

What has been happening in Quin these past few days???

The Alaska State Troopers Came To Talk to the Students

Trooper Windire talks to an attentive crew about safety

Principal Eric and VP Les Get their pic with Safety Bear!

A boat on what's left of the ice on the Kanektok

Then Graduation Festivities...

Quinhagak Graduating Senior Class of 2011

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,
But, he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn’t," but he would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you’ll never do that;
At least no one has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle it in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "couldn’t be done," and you’ll do it.Edgar Guest, It Couldn't Be DoneRead at graduation to our graduates by Pastor Frank

Outfitter Near Quinhagak

Did You Know...

Alaska boasts of having no ticks, no snakes and no skunks. Doesn't the abundance of grizzles make up for all of the above?

The Dare Rope

7/20/2009 My friend Lisa suggested we start a 'Dare Rope' (she has a 'Dare Chair' which I love, check it out on her blog-Surviving the Hood..Motherhood That Is). The premise is this: a little urging to get out of our comfort zones is healthy! This gadget is meant to provide the kick in pants we need;) I'll dare us once in a while in the blog posts (there will be a Grab the Dare Rope alert and I'll highlight them oh, say, violet or something) then we can choose to grab ahold and accept the dare...or not. But I think we should cause they'll be good dares;) Thanks Lis great idea! Here's to hanging on!!!

Archives From Last Fall: The View From My 'Backyard'

9/09 Okay this is really about a mile walk from my house.

Archive: My Friend Pauline's Home

10/09 That's salmon she's drying.

Archive: The Tundra Staples

9/09 The blueberry picker and what Steph and I picked one day.

Archive: Footprints in the Mud...

9/09 What we saw on the Kanetok while fishing for silvers.

Archive: In Yupik It's Called 'Aqutaq'

8/09 This is a tasty treat here on the tundra! It's fresh picked berries, whipped crisco, sugar and voila! Yummy! In English it's called 'Eskimo Ice Cream".

Archive: Governor Parnell Makes An Appearance

8/09 That's right, new Governor made a surprise visit to our Lower Kuskokwim School District Inservice last week. He was encouraging and wished us all the best on the 2009-2010 school year! That was a treat.

Archives From Last Summer: The Alaskan Summer-O-Meter

8/9/09 I hate to say it but I saw a fireweed on the Kanetok River the other day and it had bloomed to the top! I'm now watching the skies for the white stuff:( 7/15/09 They say the Fireweed (fushia flower on the left) is an indicator as to how much summer is left. When it blooms to the top: summer is over! Kinda like snow: when it melts to the ground winter is over (sometimes).

Archive: Summer's Over Sign

8/14/2009 Fireweed bloomed out to the top!

Archive: There's No Place Like Home

7/17/09 Received a letter in the mail yesterday with this all too familiar critter from back home taped to the envelope! Needless to say he made quite a journey;) A little reminder of those things I don't miss! He was definitely blog worthy and good for a laugh outa ya! Thanks Mike (the highschool science teacher, go figure;)

Archive: A Walk In The Park

7/14/09 Mom, Ang and I took Alivia and Tatum on a walk around the coastal trail:) I love summer evenings!

Archive: The Dealer

7/16/09 I admit it seemed shady from the start. I found him in an add off Craigslist, his email instructed me to leave my number, you know one of those "don't call me I'll call you" kind of set ups. We agreed to meet at high noon in the mini mall parking lot off Glen Hwy. and Muldoon. He'd bring 2 sizes, a large and a medium (military issued). I would choose when I tried them on. I was early (nervous)not wanting to miss him and make sure of my surroundings. He pulled up in his shiny, red corvette (must be a big demand for winter gear in these parts,I observed). He popped the trunk. Looking around he said,"Back here." and gestured as he moved toward the rear of the fancy car. "You stay here." I whispered to Mom as I approached the trunk and peered in. Hum, I wondered to myself...as he looked around again and pulled out the first one, the medium. I slipped it on certain I looked suspicious standing in the unusually hot sun of the Alaska afternoon wearing a (for extreme weather-he assured me) parka. Not wanting to linger and draw any more attention to our business transaction I shoved the money in his hand, he shut the trunk and sped away, leaving me squinting through the snorkel of my purchase. "Let's get outa here!" I yelled through the muffling hood to Mom as I made a beeline for the Civic, dodging an older lady coming across the parking lot from KFC with her chicken basket. What mattered was that the deal was done, I had my parka I would be warm this winter. Okay, maybe it didn't go down just like that but I bet it was pretty close;)

Archive: Filleting Fish Is An Art

6/29/09 Okay, Jake and I were the rookies on the river. We are just learning the ropes. I give us both credit for jumping in and trying a hand at filleting those slippery buggers. I admit mine weren't the best fillets but I got most of the meat off, sort of, in chunks and pieces that were kind of attached to eachother, mostly. So I don't think its necessary for my mom (currently part of the vaccum seal assembly line) to loudly and painfully proclaim, "Oh, boy this must be another one of Rachel or Jake's." I didn't see her fumbling away trying to keep the 'knife along the backbone'. Noooooooooo, she stood back pretending to supervise.

Archive: My Working Brothers With Their New Freezer!

6/29/09

Archive: The Salmon Overflowth

(6/29/2009) The boys' wonderful friend Jim gave us a deep freeze provided he could store his fish too before he heads back to Arizona. My thought: Who would want to 'head back to Arizona'? To each his own:) Thanks Jim.

(6/28/2009) We are in search of a deep freeze. We have exhausted all our resources and cannot contain the abundance of fish that have been caught.

Archive: Sarah Resigns

Archive: Earthquake in Anchorage

6/22/09 Forgot to mention our recent earthquake. I happened to be plunking away on the computer when I thought a very large truck was rumbling by. About 10 seconds later when everything was still shaking, I realized it was an earthquake. Mom stumbled out of her room accusing me of kicking her bed to wake her up. Go figure. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,528162,00.html